Even among the other members of your leadership team, you will assume the role of both leader and follower. You have to learn when it’s appropriate to assume which role. Seek help from your fellow leaders when you need it. Knowing when help is needed is a sign of intelligence, awareness, and the mark of a strong leader. It is not an admission of weakness or inadequacy. Support each other by applying expectations consistently and by showing respect for ALL members of the leadership team.

They never complain to anyone who can’t help them solve their problem.

Complaining about ANYTHING to those unable to effect a positive change, no matter what the situation, undermines your credibility as a leader and you instantly become part of the problem.

They know that if they’re not part of the solution, they’re part of the problem.

As corny as this might sound, it’s true. You can’t be a leader by default. You must take a decisive stance on every issue, even when it means setting aside your own feelings for the good of the group.

They never give up.

Any leader will face opposition, contempt, ridicule, and frustration on the way to realizing his true potential. You must be far-sighted in your goal setting and be resilient enough to get beyond the immediate setbacks. Remember: Effort fully releases its reward only after one refuses to quit.

They know that there are no guarantees.

You can do all the “right” things, and still not get the results you’re hoping for. That’s because people always have the power of choice and they can choose the wrong path without reason. STICK WITH IT! Even the worthiest causes meet resistance from time to time. Resolve to let every experience show you its lesson.

Check back each week for more System Blue leadership tips. If you have any questions or if you’d like to brainstorm a particular idea, contact Frank Troyka at frank@systemblue.org.

Part of the training regiment with a drum corps (and marching band), is learning to play through the center of the horn. This is something that should be focussed on heavily in band camp and early season rehearsals. By learning to play in the center, and not “on top or bottom” of pitch, among other things, leads to better endurance during long rehearsal days. If performers are trained to play in the center of pitch when the weather is “normal” (say mid 60’s to mid 70’s), and not the common tendency to play sharp, this will pay dividends when the weather becomes warmer, especially summertime with drum corps. If performers have the tendency to play sharp, and the temperature is in the 90’s, the group will definitely have a “dull” sound to them, and seemingly have less endurance through rehearsals.

Don’t severely react to the “sound” of the instrument (ensemble) as the weather gets ridiculously hot. When the tuning slide is pulled out almost all the way, the instrument WILL sound (and feel) differently. Nothing has changed with the performers or ensemble, it’s just, well, hot! Put “warm weather ears” on if you are a director, and if you’re a performer, make sure not to purposely lip the pitch down, as you will lose endurance, create bad habits, and fight the muscle memory you’ve been working to build.

Finally, keep the instrument in the shade when you can, and ALWAYS keep yourself hydrated!

Very soon, we’ll be in the midst of a new marching band season and there will be an overwhelming number of things pressing down on us. There’s a good chance that last year you thought of some things you’d like to do differently next year with regard to rehearsal procedures, show design, and maybe the timeline for learning the show. You may not be thinking of them right now, but it’s guaranteed that when the season begins, those changes you wish you’d made will haunt you for another season. This is the time to think through what you want to do differently and come up with a plan for change and action. Here are a few suggestions….

Involve others on the staff.

Get together with the others you work with and brainstorm ideas. You might do this in a social setting rather than at school so there’s a more relaxed, peer relationship. Involvement creates ownership, and when others on the staff feel like they have a part in developing a successful program, you build loyalty. Encourage even the wildest ideas! You never know which one will lead to a breakthrough.

Involve your student leaders.

As connected and aware of our students as we might like to think we are, there’s a dynamic at work within the band that only the students are privy to. You can create the same kind of ownership within the students that you do for the staff by listening and acting on their ideas. BEWARE! If your students have “concerns,” do your best to listen to what they’re actually trying to say rather than HOW they say it! Emotions run high when you’re a teenager (remember?) and they don’t always see themselves they way adults see them. SUGGESTION: When you invite the leaders to share their ideas, any concern should be accompanied by a solution. They’ll discover that solutions are much more challenging to come up with that problems, and this teaches them how to think through a problem rather than just amplifying it.

Have your own list of changes you’d like to make.

Rather than just list your ideas, consider discussing the scenarios that brought those ideas about. Then you can gently guide them to the conclusion you may already have reached. Then give them the credit! If you lead your staff and students without regard to who gets the credit, you’ll create even more loyalty and ownership in every stakeholder in the organization.

A few of the things I wanted to improve over the years were…

Better rehearsal pacing

Consistent attendance and punctuality

Higher individual accountability without seeming oppressive

Greater social responsibility

These and other topics will be the subject of future weekly System Blue tips. As always, if you have questions or would like more information, contact Frank Troyka at frank@systemblue.org.

Sign up and pay for one of our upcoming System Blue Events and be entered to win a System Blue hoodie. You must complete the following steps to be eligible:
1. Sign up and pay for a System Blue Event
2. Share that event to your Facebook or Instagram Feed
3. Use ‪#‎systemblue‬
4. Tag the System Blue Facebook Page or Instagram @systemblue1
5. Complete the following sentence – When I attend my System Blue event I would like to learn _____________.
6. ALL STEPS MUST BE COMPLETED TO WIN
We will randomly pick 10 entries.
Our 10 winners will be announced and posted to the System Blue Facebook page on Monday May 23,2016. The hoodies will be mailed out shortly thereafter.
*If you have already signed up for an upcoming event this summer, complete steps 2-5 only in order to be entered for the hoodie give away.
*USA shipping only, we can not ship items overseas.
Good Luck! Together, we grow. #systemblue

System Blue offers two Trumpet mouthpieces, the TR1 and the TR2. In general, the two mouthpieces are very similar, they both have larger back bores and throats, and like all of the System Blue mouthpieces, they have a UV (not ultraviolet :-), but a mix of a U-shape and V-shape cup), and slightly sharper bite to assist with clarity of articulation. The biggest different between the TR1 and the TR2 is the actual cup size. The TR1 is geared more for “lead” players and has a smaller cup, whereas the TR2 is more of a “section” mouthpiece, and has a standard Trumpet cup size. Both mouthpieces are designed to work best with the System Blue Professional and Traditional Trumpets, but work well with ANY Trumpet.

A big misconception is that great leaders are just born that way. Sure, there are some who just have charisma. Others seem to gravitate to them because of their personality. But personality can be developed, just like your intellect and your skill.

They don’t have to be genetic!

Many years ago, and many times since, I asked my own students to identify the characteristics of the leaders in our band they thought were the most effective.

Here’s what they came up with…

They are strong performers.

The great leaders weren’t always first chair. We had some of our best leaders come from outside the top band. But they worked hard and they worked smart, and that earned them the respect of their peers.

MAKE NOTE! Sometimes it’s easy to think that great performers are born that way. Great performers HATE this perception! Talent only goes so far and the rest is hard work! One of the best ways you can show your commitment is to PRACTICE PUBLICLY. Practice where others can see you so they know that the path to excellence is through effort.

They are approachable and humble.

Make time for everyone, especially those outside your social circle. The better you get, the more distant you may seem to those who want to be acknowledged by you and to be more like you. Something as simple as saying hi to a freshman in the hall might seem like nothing to you, but it could mean a lot to someone who looks up to you. Offer help. Be friendly.

Praise effort.

Give thanks. Remember, gratitude is free to the person giving it and priceless to the person receiving it.

They are good communicators and teachers.

They’ve thought about what they want to say, and they say it with confidence. This doesn’t mean you pound your fist, or shout your beliefs. (Sometimes, those who shout the loudest are trying to convince themselves!)

Good communication starts with simple things. Start by eliminating things like “um,” “like,” “ok,” and other filler words. When you’re in a position of authority, these weaken your presence. You can practice being a better communicator without anyone knowing! Start by eliminating those unnecessary words and phrased in casual settings. No one will know you’re actually practicing to be a better leader!

Check back each week for more System Blue leadership tips. If you have any questions or if you’d like to brainstorm a particular idea, contact Frank Troyka at frank@systemblue.org.

We get asked all the time why a group would choose to use the SB30 Hybrid-Euphonium over a Baritone, or a Euphonium, or a mix of Baritones and Euphoniums. There are several reasons we usually respond with, and I will talk through a few here.

One of the main reasons we initially designed the Hybrid-Euph was to eliminate the need to use two different low brass voices (which The Blue Devils did for many years). When two voices are used (say a Baritone for the leads, and Euphonium for the lower parts), and then a unison line is written for the full low brass section, intonation issues will arise that are inconsistent between the two instruments. By using the one instrument, all of the tuning tendencies are now similar from player to player.

The Hybrid-Euph borrows parts from a Baritone and a Euphonium, as well as has some custom parts made specifically for it. The “front-end” of the instrument is more Baritone, and the “back-end” is more Euphonium. Because of that, lead players will still be able to climb the register and play with a great top end sound, while the lower parts can still play with a “beefy” sound in the low register.

As you can see, the SB30 Hybrid-Euphonium covers all the bases musically, as well as it is weighted so performers from high school students to world class drum corps members can perform and maneuver it with general ease (although it is still a large instrument, we’re not talking about a Trumpet here :-).

For those programs that send their students to leadership camp, or who host their own leadership camp or retreat, it’s common to require instructional leaders to attend because they are most directly involved in the rehearsal process itself. I was one of those directors. Early in my career, I sent only the core leaders—the instruction leaders—to camp in order to develop their teaching, communication, and performance skills. My thought was to go “lean and mean” so we could focus more on the individuals and thereby develop their potential more fully. But there were always kids who tried out for instructional leadership positions who were strong in many ways, but who were not selected because there may not have been a need for additional section leaders, or perhaps they were strong marchers but not strong enough as players. These students were often encouraged to pursue positions as logistical or elected leaders instead, but I stopped short of including them in the leadership camp. I missed a great opportunity!

Then it dawned on me. If I send ALL the leaders—instructional, logistical, and elected—to camp, then I would have three times the number of students who received advanced training. I would encourage the non-instructional leaders to participate in the teaching and communication activities which gave everyone a greater insight and, more importantly, greater empathy for what it takes to be an effective student leader. And the additional students became a larger group of marchers for the instructional leaders to practice the teaching skills in a more realistic situation. Rather than return to summer band with only 20-25 well-trained instructional leaders spread across a 270 to 300-member band, now I had 60-70 students who had gone through the leadership training, forming a much larger core of kids who “got it.” Their influence by example transformed the effectiveness of the instructional leaders and, in effect, transformed the entire band into better leaders.

“Lean and mean” may have its advantages. But for me and my circumstances, being more inclusive helped develop a more pervasive culture—a culture of leadership.

If you have questions or would like more information, contact Frank Troyka at frank@systemblue.org.